1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to software editing methods and apparatuses and storage media, and more particularly to a software editing method and apparatus for editing software in an information processing apparatus, and to a computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to carry out such a software editing.
In this specification, “software editing” includes correcting and updating software. For example, the software is corrected when a bug or the like exists in the software, and the software is updated when the version of the software is to be updated to a most recent version.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case where the software used by the information processing apparatus such as a computer system is editable, the software editing can be carried out by providing an editing software, a patch software or the like.
The software used by the information processing apparatus includes operating systems, applications, game software, programs, and various kinds of software such as an installation support tool which supports the user when installing such software in the information processing apparatus.
On the other hand, in a case where the software used by the information processing apparatus is stored in a non-editable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, it is impossible to edit the software directly even if the editing software or the patch software is provided. Accordingly, in such a case, an edited software is used by newly providing a recording medium which stores the edited software.
However, when directly editing the software by use of the editing software, the patch software or the like, unless performed by a skilled operator, it is difficult to efficiently and accurately edit parts of the software which need to be edited.
On the other hand, when newly providing the recording medium which stores the edited software, an accurate editing is guaranteed because the edited software is used, and the software editing does not require a skilled operator. But in this case, there is a problem in that the recording medium which stores the existing software is totally wasted.
Presently, the software is constructed from a plurality of files or modules.
In general, in a case where a plurality of files of the software need to be edited, the editing process is carried out by subjecting all of these files which need to be edited to the editing process.
Therefore, the editing process requires an editing time corresponding to the number of files of the software which need to be edited. Furthermore, a storage capacity required to store the files increases after the editing process is carried out, and the storage capacity of a main storage or the like occupied by the edited software during execution or operation accordingly, increases.
As a result, there are problems in that the processing speed of the edited software itself decreases, the edited software prevents execution of other software due to insufficient resources caused by the relatively large storage capacity occupied by the edited software, and the processing speed of the information processing apparatus as a whole decreases due to these reasons.